


Guiding Spirit

by slightlyjillian



Series: Butterfly Muse [2]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Humor, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-18
Updated: 2010-03-18
Packaged: 2017-10-08 02:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlyjillian/pseuds/slightlyjillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heero's idea of a holiday centers around work, which (even when magical) is still <i>work</i>. Sequel to <i>Butterfly Muse</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guiding Spirit

Nichol liked camping well enough. He'd done scouts as a kid, in particular enjoying the canoeing, until the incident with the double-sized octopus which had left Nichol and four other boys in the ER and all future in-the-wild trips requiring waivers against escaped magical creatures. The incident hadn't scarred Nichol. Well, not mentally. He did have the acid burn along his hip where the creature had managed to spear eight year-old Nichol with a semi-poisonous stinger.

So when Heero had suggested they take a holiday, Nichol had agreed. When Heero has suggested going to one of the northwestern parks in the white pines, Nichol hadn't objected.

However, while unpacking his clothing into the cabin closet, Heero admitted he'd wanted their specific camp because it was _haunted_.

"What? Heero, why didn't you mention the ghosts," Nichol groaned, sitting on the edge of the bed. The mattress sank and gave until Nichol was nearly swallowed by the material.

"Ghost," Heero corrected. "Just the one. Our mission is to find the ghost, track it and take its picture."

Nichol chewed that for a moment before repeating, "Take its picture?"

"Yes. I have the camera in that bag." Heero pointed at the satchel which had been dropped with a rather alarming sound of crunching minutes before.

Nichol went over to it and gingerly inspected the damage. "Will it still work even if you abracadabra the equipment? This is pretty smashed, Heero." Then he had a cheerful thought. "I could try to get it working."

"No need." Heero had finished putting away his other supplies for the week and took the camera bag from his boyfriend. "I'll do it."

"Yeah, you do everything," Nichol observed wryly.

"It's not too much for me," Heero said with an airy expression which indicated he hardly knew what he was saying much less what it implied. Nichol saw through it but that didn't make the situation any less annoying overall. He was just much less likely to want to punch Heero than if the sentiment was otherwise.

The camera bag was left on the quicksand mattress for later and the two men went toward the smells of the midday meal. Nichol pushed down on Heero's shoulders now and again to make sure the shorter man's feet were actually touching the ground. In the city, magicians were more common if eccentric. But in the country, a talent of Heero's level was often gawked at with autograph lines which could last for inconvenient hours.

They seated themselves and Heero stared wistfully at the flame warmed metal trays against the far wall. Otherwise, the lighting was completely natural through the full wall of windows facing the south. Just beyond a short lawn were the trees, thick and in full autumn colors between the pines.

Staff opened the containers and then left.

"Er, I think we're supposed to serve ourselves." Nichol glanced around the otherwise empty room. Heero seemed transfixed by his own reflection in the glass of water next to his place setting. Nichol chuckled, "I'll grab a plate for you too."

He was partway into juggling two plates and applying servings of what was probably boxed mashed potatoes when he heard a crash. Immediately looking over to Heero, Nichol saw the young magician standing with his chair knocked back onto the floor. He pointed at the glass then whipped his head around to stare in the opposite direction.

"Water conjured," Heero said rather loudly. By then the kitchen staff had all come to peek in through the door.

"Is everything okay?" a host asked, coming over to pick up the chair and peering into the direction of Heero's outstretched arm.

"Hn?" Heero noticed the stranger. "Who are you?"

By then, Nichol had cleared his way around the food and carried their partially filled plates to the table. "Have some potatoes, Heero," Nichol urged. Then while they watched Heero tuck the napkin into the neck of his shirt and sit down again, Nichol explained, "We had a long drive."

***

"Water. Water origin. Water conjured," Heero muttered to himself typing variables into the internet search engine on his laptop. Nichol had complained once that magicians shouldn't use technology. Heero had responded, "Why not?" Having no definite answer, Nichol had simply accepted that Heero had a peculiar addiction to gizmos.

"Anything interesting turn up?" Nichol asked, reading the camp brochure while reclined on the bed.

"The camp property has a river, several streams, a wishing well, a swimming pool..."

"Well, we can count that out. It's drained," Nichol interjected.

"Doesn't mean the ghost isn't connected to the pool," Heero disagreed. "Why don't you leave the investigation to me?"

"Sure," Nichol mumbled. "I'll just sit here and be pretty."

***

A knock at the door. Nichol opened it to see a dark-haired woman with a retroussé nose. "Would you like a tour? The tour is leaving in five minutes."

"Let me check with the boss," Nichol joked. Then calling over to Heero, "Are we going with them?"

"They're leaving too early," Heero responded. Nichol raised his brows then shook his head at the cryptic answer.

"Guess not," he told the young woman.

"Self-guided tours are okay too," she smiled. "You guys just seemed more fun that stuffy Mr. and Mrs. Noventa. I don't blame you for wanting to go alone."

"I'm sure your tours are great," Nichol said by means of polite consolation. He liked this girl. She seemed the sort that understood what it was like to be put on by _interesting_ personalities. "My name's Paul. Paul Nichol."

"Hilde Schbeiker. Nice to meet you, Mr. Nichol." They shook hands.

"Just Nichol is fine."

***

Twenty minutes later Nichol snatched the self-guided tour map from Heero and scowled at the document even as the downpour increased and a few droplets of wet eventually soaked the entire paper.

"I'm sure we came from that direction." Heero lifted his chin to point. Nichol didn't bother to look. One direction was just as confusing as another.

Nichol wiped at his face. His hair was already dripping. He said, "I don't see why you can't use magic to get us out of this situation."

"That would be pretty reckless." Heero shook his head. "No, I thought we could do this sort of thing together."

"Oh, fabulous," Nichol complained. "Now you want to be a team."

"You're always moaning about it."

Nichol frowned. Heero usually let Nichol's comments slide, ignoring them or missing them altogether. To suddenly change tactics caused Nichol's internal thermometer to boil up several degrees. He might have said something unfortunate, except just then they both heard a voice shouting.

"Help! Nichol? Was that you?"

"The tour girl," Heero stated, hurrying toward the sound. Nichol followed saying, "Hilde?"

Their shoes slid over the wet leaves that had dropped to the forest floor. Nichol had to grab a nearby sapling to keep from sliding too far down an incline. Heero, reclusive and shy Heero, had already sprinted several meters ahead. Puffing and still upset, Nichol followed with angry determination.

"Watch out," Heero warned without looking to see if Nichol had heeded. Nichol grabbed another tree trunk and noticed the space ahead was suddenly empty except for the white grey clouds still dropping rain on them. A glance at the ground showed an immediate drop off. They were on the edge of a cliff.

"The river's down there," Nichol said, taking in the rather beautiful scenery of the water chugging along far below.

"Nice view," Heero agreed. "She's over here somewhere."

Nichol followed as Heero walked along the curve of the edge.

"Hilde?" Nichol shouted.

"Yes! Yes, it's me. We're okay. But need some help." Eventually, they found Hilde and her two elderly companions braced on a ledge of earth a few feet down the cliff. Hilde could pull herself up, but hadn't been able to assist either of the guests successfully. Mr. Noventa's clothes were completely smeared with wet mud on the front.

With some cooperation and much reassurance that things would be "okay" from Hilde, Heero and Nichol got both Noventas safely to the top. They all decided to rest, letting the rain drop on them without protest.

His shoes weren't entirely practical for the weather and Nichol's toes squished in his socks. He claimed a relatively dry spot of leaves as a seat and lowered himself down. The place had a good view of the landscape even if he couldn't see the water below. Then the sky shimmered briefly.

"Oh." Nichol had seen many strange things after living with a magician. Ghosts seemed remarkably mundane. "Heero, hey... look," he whispered.

Heero knelt next to Nichol and closed his eyes just enough to peer into the distance with something that must have been a second sight technique. Nichol watched. At such a close profile, he could see every twitch of Heero's brow and the smudge of mud that seemed to perfectly accent the Asian man's cheekbones.

He was baffling and disagreeable, but Nichol did rather love the idiot. So he kissed Heero's marred cheek.

"Find your ghost?" he asked.

Heero only glanced at Nichol briefly then smiled broadly. "Oh yes. _Camera,_" he commanded holding out his hand. Then whizzing through the trees like a manic bird with better flight control, the camera landed in Heero's hand. He muttered a spell over the device and it grew mechanical legs.

Stabbing the tripod into the soft earth, Heero set the camera to snapping the space where the ghost flickered above the river.

"Hey guys," Hilde said. "We're going to head back."

"You okay to go alone?" Nichol asked, not getting up because Heero held him down by the shoulder.

"No problem. The way back is easy," she looked at them curiously.

_Probably wondering where the camera came from,_ Nichol thought.

_Probably wondering why two fools are staying out in the rain,_ Heero projected, turning Nichol's chin and kissing him again.

Not ready to be done with quarreling yet, Nichol murmured, "Stupid mind-reader, you taste like mud."


End file.
